CRA official outlines home-repair and small-scale rental programs ahead of council review

Hillary Harvard, who identified herself as a CRA grama officer, told the advisory committee the CRA’s residential and commercial programs aim to eliminate blight and foster reinvestment in parts of Pensacola such as East Side, Westside and the Urban Core.

Harvard said the Residential Property Improvement Program (RPIP) now allows awards up to $105,000 (up from $70,000 previously) to address health, safety and facade work, and noted many recipients carry long-term liens under earlier program rules. She said the resiliency grant offers up to $15,000 with a one-year lien to address immediate storm-mitigation needs such as new roofs, impact-resistant windows and elevating HVAC units in flood zones.

"We try to go in and address health and safety issues as well as the facade to make it more appealing from the street," Harvard said.

Harvard reported program activity since 2019 of 41 RPIP projects and 19 resiliency projects and said the RPIP wait list had grown to about five years before staff paused new intake while they restructure the programs.

The presenter outlined a proposed small-scale rental development program intended to spur production of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and small rental developments. Under the proposal a developer could receive up to $550,000 total (capped at 10 units, roughly $55,000 per unit); single-unit assistance could reach $75,000 and projects described as "air-right" units could qualify for up to $100,000. Harvard said the CRA would use third-party financial institutions to underwrite financing and would issue an RFP for that work once the board approves the changes.

"We want to make it flexible," Harvard said, adding staff could defer repayments for developers that need a runway before cash flow begins.

She also described a commercial program with awards up to $150,000 (amounts depending on size, age and historic significance) and noted a recent cemetery upkeep project for Magnolia and AME Zion cemeteries that required specialist repairs and tree removal; those commercial projects require a 20% match, which can be in-kind.

During Q&A, committee members asked whether conversions of buildings such as the American Legion site or churches into affordable apartments could access the small-scale rental program. Harvard said conversions are eligible in principle but cautioned about additional costs (sprinkler systems and fire suppression) and emphasized that staff will meet with prospective developers early to assess feasibility and financing gaps.

Harvard invited any follow-up questions and offered staff contact information for more detailed project discussions. She said the board and then City Council are expected to review the proposed changes, with staff hoping for a council hearing in the near term.